This is an archive of updates made to mikeystmnt.com from 2002-2008. Updates from 2008-2012 are archived separately along with the full website, and are not available on the blogger platform. Maybe one day I'll be able to bring the website back to life, but for now, you can use this archive to take a trip down memory lane.
Keep it green!
-Mikey

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

**Update :: Looks like Zixx and Cody are also included with extra weapons and shuriken !!-->> Leo n' crew are packin' extra hardware !! Seems like the recent shipments of the Turtles and Splinter shows Playmates givin' the guys loads of ginsu gear. Leo for example here comes with 2 extra sets of blades, a naginata style blade staff, and 2 shuriken. I'm assuming these count as 'variant' figures.. but it ain' really a cosmetic change to the figures themselves.. just extra weapons..and real value if you put off getting the F.F. TMNT til' later. Earlier shpments only had the guys with their baisic Ninja Tek Weapons and that's IT !!

Still no sign of F.F. villians or Purple Dragon ..i'll look into it.. stay tuned !! -- From Cjj::"

I don't know if anyone still needs these or is interested, but I figured it couldn't hurt to post this here.

"Kevin Clash, who performed the voice of Splinter inthe 3 live action TMNT films, has released hisautobiography entitled: My Life As A Furry RedMonster. It mostly deals with how being the voice andpuppeteer for Elmo has changed his life. Im surethere'll be a chapter or 2 that mentions Splinter tho.On the URL I am providing there is an exerpt from thebook itself.

His furry red face is as recognizable as the Mona Lisaor the President; he is in fact such an icon in oursociety that it is hard to remember when Elmo wasn’tpart of our culture. And while it is easy to think ofElmo as that perpetual three-year-old that lives onSesame Street there is someone behind Elmo, or perhapssomeone underneath Elmo.

The 224 page book “My Life as a Furry Red Monster”tells us all about that someone and how his life hasbeen transformed by a little puppet named Elmo. Foranyone who doesn’t have children, nieces or nephewslet me relieve you by saying this book was not writtenby Elmo. Repeat, this book was not written by Elmo. Nofirst person referrals or incessant yet contagiousgiggling, this book is about Kevin Clash, you know,that person “underneath” Elmo. With the help of GaryBrozek, Kevin shares his private thoughts, pastglories and pitfalls all while telling us what he haslearned from Elmo.

The subtitle explains the purpose of the book best,“What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love, andLaughing Out Loud.” I know what you are thinking, whatcan I, a long since pre-school graduate need to learnabout life from Elmo? Well according to Kevin, quite abit. Each chapter is defined by the lesson that Kevinhas determined that he and the rest of us could learnfrom Elmo. From love to courage, to creativity andtolerance it seems that all of us could use a lessonfrom a three-year-old’s perspective.

Despite your opinion of Elmo (love him, hate him, ortolerate him) you have to admire his ability to riseto the top. And yet as Elmo continues to grow in theSesame Street spotlight, Kevin remains on thesidelines. Like a parent, quietly observing his ownchild, Kevin is amazed at what Elmo is able toaccomplish in the rough and tumble world that is thetwenty-first century. Unlike Elmo who freely speakshis mind and demands constant attention, Kevin is onlyhappy just to be a part of it.

From his humble beginnings, we learn about Kevin as ayoung child and how his parents influenced him to besomething more than just an African American kidgrowing up in the city. They encouraged his somewhatbizarre habits of collecting fur, fabric and otherodds and ends to build his one-of-a kind puppets. At ayoung age, Kevin had a natural talent for entertainingand yet he himself never sought the spotlight. Contentwith being the boy behind the curtain, or the boy whowent off in his own direction, Kevin uses this time todevelop a craft that would become his ultimate dream.A long time fan of puppetry and Sesame Street, Kevinshares with us how his mom actually gets him into theprofessional puppetry gig. And how his own tenacitybrought him to New York City and then eventually toSesame Street. The only things missing in this bookare shared photographs of Kevin’s early childhood andpuppets.

Similar to Jim Henson’s Ernie, Kevin is the antithesisto Elmo. Quiet, unassuming, content to observe hefinds that by portraying the rambunctious three old ishis own outlet for his “other” side. Despite Elmo’sdizzying popularity, Kevin is humble, and we readabout these moments of humbleness when Kevin shareswith us his first moment’s with his daughter, or thefirst time he saw a Tickle Me Elmo on the shelves ofthe toy store. Elmo may be the money maker for SesameStreet, but Kevin assures his readers that he is onlyone of many hands the helps to stir the pot.

This book gives us that little insight into what it islike to be a puppeteer of one of the most famousMuppets of all time. For those of you who are aspiringMuppeteers yourselves, you will especially enjoy thisbook. Pay careful attention because Kevin, as producerand puppeteer recruiter he has some wonderful pearlsof wisdom for what he looks for in a potentialco-worker. We get to learn some of who Kevin reallyis. Who and what has shaped him, who and what inspiredhim and most importantly what kind of a man he istoday.

As each one of Elmo’s little life lessons unfold welearn a little more about Elmo, Kevin and perhaps alittle more about ourselves. By reading this book wefind out that there is more to Elmo than tickling,giggling, and his goldfish Dorothy. Elmo has layers oflove, joy, creativity, tolerance, courage, friendship,cooperation, learning, and optimism. Kevin Clashunderstands this and now he finally has a voice toshare it with the rest of us."